1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to networks for providing voice and data connectivity for mobile devices. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to mobile networks for providing voice and data connectivity for mobile devices in an operational environment where a conventional communications network infrastructure and access to external communications network resources may be limited or not available.
2. Background
Communications may be an important part of any successful operation involving the coordinated efforts of various personnel and machines. Various communications devices and systems, including mobile communications devices, may be used to provide communications between and among various personnel and machines that may be working at various locations in an operational environment. In many cases, communications between and among personnel and machines in an operational environment may rely on existing communications system infrastructures in the operational environment and access to communications network resources outside of the operational environment.
For example, communications between and among personnel and machines performing various private or governmental operations in a modern city may rely on existing communications system infrastructures in the city. Personnel performing various operations in the city may use telephones connected to an existing land-line public switched telephone network, PSTN, in the city for voice communications. Data communications for such operations may be provided using computers or other devices connected to the public switched telephone network via modems or using other wired or wireless data networks that may be established in the city. Cellular telephones and other wireless mobile devices may be used for voice and data communications between and among the various personnel and machines performing operations in the city. Such wireless mobile devices may rely on existing cellular telephone network infrastructures in the city. Such infrastructures may include a number of cellular telephone network base stations and antennas that may be mounted on towers or other structures throughout the city.
The existing communications system infrastructures in a modern city may provide for both communications between and among personnel and machines performing operations in the city and connectivity to various resources outside of the city. For example, the existing communications system infrastructures in a modern city may provide for communications between and among personnel and machines operating in the city and personnel and machines at various locations throughout the world via networks such as the Internet.
In some cases, use of an existing communications system infrastructure in a city or other operational environment may require such connectivity to remote resources. For example, establishing connectivity between a user device and an existing cellular telephone or other communications network infrastructure in an operational environment may include a process for confirming the identity of the user or the user device and for determining whether the user or user device is allowed to connect to the network. This process may be performed by remote network resources that are located outside of the operational environment, using data that is stored at a remote location outside of the operational environment, or both.
In some operational environments, however, there may be no existing, reliable, or available communications system infrastructures. For example, in some environments where personnel and machines are performing various operations, no adequate communications system infrastructure may ever have been established. In other cases, a communications system infrastructure in a particular operational environment may have been destroyed or damaged by acts of man, nature, or both. As another example, access to the existing communications system infrastructure in a particular operational environment may be blocked or may not be used for security reasons.
Communications between and among personnel and machines in an operational environment where there is no existing, reliable, or available communications system infrastructure may be desired for the effective and efficient performance of various operations in such an environment. For example, personnel and machines performing various military, disaster relief, search and rescue, exploration, and other operations often may operate in such an environment. Communications between personnel and machines operating in such an environment and various personnel, machines, and resources located outside of such an environment also may be desired for the effective and efficient performance of various operations.
Organizations that may be required to perform various operations in environments where there may be no existing, reliable, or available communications system infrastructures have developed their own communications devices and systems to provide for communications between and among their personnel and machines that may be operating in such environments. For example, communication between and among military forces is desirable for command and control of combat, combat support, and combat service support operations among military ground, sea, and air forces. Currently, there are many radio systems that are used to provide voice and other communications for military forces in a tactical environment where there may be no existing, reliable, or available communications system infrastructures. The Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, SINCGARS, is an example of a radio currently used by United States and allied military forces. These radios handle voice and data communications and are designed to be reliable, secure, and easily maintained. Vehicle-mount, backpack, airborne, and handheld versions of these radios are available. The Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio, MBITR, is an example of a handheld, secure, multiband, tactical radio that is currently in use with military forces around the world.
Current tactical radio systems provide relatively low bandwidth in comparison to the bandwidth provided by commercial wireless communications networks, such as Wi-Fi and cellular telephone networks. Furthermore, current tactical radio systems are configured to provide connectivity between radios that are part of a particular tactical radio system and, perhaps, a limited number of other tactical radio systems. Therefore, current tactical radio systems may place undesired limits on the types and sources of data that may be exchanged by such systems.
Commercial wireless communications systems, such as cellular telephone networks, may provide a higher bandwidth than current tactical radio systems. Furthermore, such systems may allow a user to exchange voice data and various other types of data with a virtually unlimited number of various data resources using a mobile device, such as a cellular telephone or other mobile device. However, current commercial wireless communications devices and systems may rely on a communications system infrastructure that may not be available in tactical or other operational environments.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to have a method and apparatus that takes into account one or more of the issues discussed above as well as possibly other issues.